[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 97 (Friday, July 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1010
 
                      ABUSE OF CONGRESSIONAL PERKS

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, yesterday's Washington Times 
attacked Congress for abuse of still another perk that other workers do 
not enjoy. According to the article, some Members of the House and 
their staff have been exploiting a little-known loophole in House rules 
by taking frequent-flier coupons earned from Government trips and using 
them for family vacations and personal trips.
  Where and when will it end, Mr. Speaker. There is an airfare price 
war and still Members of the House abuse a privilege of office for 
their own gain. The Senate and the rest of the Government prohibit 
employees from converting business travel benefits to personal use.
  My congressional reform bill, H.R. 4444, puts our travel on the same 
guidelines as the rest of Government. It also makes our retirement plan 
the same as other Federal employees. The Post attacked us for this 
Sunday.
  The final attack will be at the polls on the first Tuesday in 
November. Many of us will lose the office we worked so hard to attain 
because we refuse to lose the perks and privileges of the office. We 
need total congressional reform, Mr. Speaker. Support H.R. 4444, the 
one-stop shop for congressional reform.

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